CSE Comments on Rajasthan's District Mineral Foundation Trust Rules, 2015

The Government of Rajasthan has developed the draft District Mineral Foundation Trust Rules (DMFTR), 2015 in accordance to the requirements of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment (MMDR) Act, 2015. However, the draft Rules as released by the Department of Mines and Geology, Rajasthan, is problematic on many fronts:

• The Rules fails to make the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) an institution "of the people, for the people"- a central vision with which DMF has been discussed over years and finally instituted. This is evident particularly as people of mining affected communities are left out from every aspect of decision-making.
• The institutional design also remains deficient by not having a multi stakeholder representation.
• Jt completely leaves out how the beneficiaries will be identified, which has been a matter of controversy for other initiatives concerning community upliftment.
• There is little clarity and justification on how and where the money will be spent.
• 1t largely renders DMF as another source of revenue to be used as 'general development fund'.

Failing to take account of such issues appropriately, the Rules if followed in its present form, will fall short in realizing the objectives for which DMF was envisioned, rather will prove to be counterproductive.

Read More